Neon Hair Shades
by Weasleylover1
Summary: One-shot linked with my Shades of Grey story. CharlieTonks with hints SSRM. Charlie's called home when he'd much rather stay with his dragons and a woman with disturbing hair seems determined to get on his nerves.


A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews to the last chapter of Shades of Grey and I would like to ask for your input, a lot of people have asked for a sequel and I am seriously considering doing one. Mostly because my evil muse is trying to work me into an early grave just so that I can satisfy her Severus/Remus cravings! Now I do have ideas for a sequel but do you really want one? The thing is it would be different, it won't be just Sev and Remus, there'd be a large element of Ron/Hermione as it has merged with a story I was writing about the two of them in their sixth year, there's also a background element of Draco/Pansy but that's nothing much. The thing is, are you still interested? It'll pick up at the end of the summer when the school starts back and don't expect things to get all lovey dovey and Remus and Sev to settle down to a relationship or any other such thing as that's not what I have in mind but if you liked Shades of Grey there would be more of the same between them as well as trying to develop things so that they learn to cope with suddenly being thrust back into the big wide world. Basically I'd be drawing them out of the bubble they've spent the summer in so that they have to go back to interacting with each other in front of other people. Well anyway just drop a review to whichever of my fics and let me know, alright? I just want to know if people are still interested having heard my idea for it. However I must warn you it would not be posted for a while as I am currently working on getting something else about Percy ready to post as it's more than half finished.  
  
Sorry for the long A/N. Enjoy the story! For the record I'm not too impressed with my title!  
  
If you want a time reference for this it happens around chapter six/seven of Shades of Grey.  
  
Neon Hair Shades  
  
_Charlie's Thoughts_  
  
**Emphasis**  
  
Charlie Weasley was not in a very good mood. He had received a letter from his mother insisting he return to England for an unspecified amount of time and, despite it sounding serious, having arrived there was no one there to meet him. He was stood at the train station on what had to be one of the hottest days on record for Britain. It was already over an hour since the meeting time.  
  
Charlie was beginning however to form a nasty suspicion. Upon receiving the letter he had tried to contact the family by floo to find it was Fred and George who answered him, they had arranged a meeting time and place and promised that someone would be there. The fact that someone wasn't there was a pretty good indication that he had become their latest victim in what was definitely one of their more unimaginative pranks.  
  
He sighed in exasperation, he had no idea where to find his family or how to get in touch with them, he was on a muggle station and even if he had had access to the floo network he couldn't just contact the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters in full view of the public where anyone could be monitoring the conversation. He was hot and sweaty and his shirt was sticking to him uncomfortably, the train had been crowded and the sun was beating down relentlessly. When he got his hands on the twins he was going to kill them, horribly.  
  
Another hour passed with no change in his situation other than he became hotter and sweatier and more frustrated with his family, why did they want him home anyway? He really hoped it wasn't because they'd managed to start another family feud of one sort or another. He was getting deeply sick of hearing about the Percy situation, as far as he could see Percy had made one lucky escape! He groaned out loud as he remembered going home entailed being subjected to Molly's version of the Spanish inquisition, frankly Charlie thought the Spanish could have learned a lot from his mother. She was obsessed with marrying him off and finding him a boring yet safe office job. He loved his mother but really sometimes she was just too much to take.  
  
By the time help finally arrived Charlie had given up on anger and thoughts of revenge and simply begun to resign himself to dying of dehydration on this dusty and near deserted station. Errol, looking closer to death than ever, suddenly appeared on the horizon and crashed into him bearing a small note, which simply read:  
  
Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.  
  
Very welcoming Charlie thought, the handwriting looked suspiciously like George's and though he was still angry he was in part simply grateful to finally have somewhere to go.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, when he finally found it and that was no easy task, was clearly hidden from most people's view. Not, Charlie thought, that it was really worth seeing anyway. It was dark and dingy and though it had probably been grand once it now looked sadly neglected.  
  
He rang the doorbell impatiently and was greeted, eventually, by his elder brother. Bill flung the door open and glared at him, "You just had to use the doorbell and wake her up didn't you!"  
  
Charlie was confused, perhaps he'd gone mad from exposure? No, surely it was just that Bill was mad anyway.  
  
Then again he could hear some rather odd screaming.  
  
"Well don't just stand there, come in!" Bill dragged him inside, relieving him of his bags and clapping him on the shoulder. "Good to have you home, even if you did cause that!" he gestured towards a portrait of an elderly woman who was screaming obscenities at them.  
  
"BEFOULING MY HOUSE! OH AND HERES ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE RED HEADED BLOOD TRAITERS!"  
  
The noise made Errol take of from his perch on Charlie's shoulder and fly away down the corridor. Charlie stared in astonishment at the portrait, "Who on earth is that?"  
  
"Sirius Black's mother."  
  
"Can't you shut her up?"  
  
Bill grabbed the curtains hanging around her picture, "Not that simple really." He eventually pulled them closed and secured them with a spell, "That won't hold for long, believe me!"  
  
Charlie groaned, "Well isn't this place just delightful!"  
  
Bill snorted, "Could be worse."  
  
Charlie followed his brother down some stairs and into a large kitchen where the rest of his family were arrayed around a large table, along with a young woman with pink and green hair.  
  
"Charlie dear!" Molly jumped up and hugged him, "It's so good to have you back with us."  
  
Charlie returned her embrace, glaring at the twins over her shoulder. The two of them tried to look innocent and failed miserably.  
  
"Three hours," he said, "You left me there for three hours before you thought to tell me where to go!"  
  
Molly looked confused, "What do you mean Charlie?"  
  
"Fred and George were supposed to tell you to meet me at the station over three hours ago, I've been waiting until they eventually sent me an owl with this address!"  
  
"Boys!" Molly scolded, "How could you do that to your brother? That's not funny and deeply childish!"  
  
Fun as watching his mother ripping into Fred and George was, Charlie just wanted to go and get a shower and lie down and he guessed that the quicker they told him why he was there the sooner that could happen. "So why did you want me to come back for a while, is everything alright?"  
  
"Oh everything's fine dear, your father and I just thought the family should all be together right now."  
  
Charlie blinked in astonishment, "You're kidding, right?"  
  
Molly looked confused, "I'm sorry?"  
  
"Mum, I live in Romania, I have a job there, I have a life there! And right now I'm going back there. You've got a son right here in London you can bug about coming home if you feel the need but I don't live here anymore!"  
  
"Hey you can't leave, you only just got here!" Bill protested, "Come on it'll be fun, just like it used to be!"  
  
"Oh do you mean in the good old days when I organised your schedule so that your many girlfriends would never accidentally meet each other and realise you were cheating on them?!" Charlie snapped.  
  
Fred and George sniggered.  
  
"Don't even get me started on you two! I didn't much appreciate your welcome home prank! Three bloody hours I waited at that train station! Can't you just grow up?! What is it with this family?! I have an elder brother who's determined I was put on this earth purely to help him with his complicated social life, twin brothers who I've finally worked out are never seen apart because they share the same bloody brain! If Ron doesn't ask Hermione out soon I'll do it for him! Ginny, it's been nice to hear that you finally got over the Harry complex but must you follow Bill's example and date everyone of the opposite sex before you hit twenty? Mum, if you want Percy to come home you might actually have to go and, God forbid, tell him that! Dad, I don't know how you've kept your sanity in this family all these years but you have my undying respect for managing it. And you," he stopped briefly at Tonks, "I don't even know who you are but who the hell told you pink and green hair was a good idea or did the twins just play another of their ridiculous jokes on you?!"  
  
The door opened and Charlie opened his mouth to carry on with whoever entered, thankfully it was Dumbledore and his rant was stopped, "Oh, hello Professor."  
  
Dumbledore smiled benevolently, "Hello Charlie, how are you doing?"  
  
"Well I've been trapped in a relatively small house with my family for almost twenty minutes now, after a three hour wait on a boiling hot station platform so how do you think I'm doing?!"  
  
"Charlie dear," Molly frowned in concern, "I think you've got a touch of sunstroke."  
  
"Why? Because I'm telling everyone the truth they don't want to hear all of a sudden?!"  
  
"What's wrong with my hair?!"  
  
Everyone turned to look at a rather downcast Tonks.  
  
"Do you really need to ask?!" Charlie exclaimed.  
  
"Charlie don't be unkind," his father admonished him, "It's not like you to judge people on their appearance."  
  
"Oh thanks Arthur! I'm going out!" Tonks stormed out with a frown on her face.  
  
Charlie shook his head, "Who was that? Bill's latest conquest?"  
  
"Her?!" Bill pulled a face, "No!"  
  
"What's wrong with her?" he asked his brother.  
  
"She's Tonks," Bill shrugged, "Once you get to know her that'll say it all."  
  
"Who is she?" Charlie asked again.  
  
"An auror and please don't be so unkind about her, that goes for both of you," Arthur reproached them. "She's a very pleasant young woman. Now Bill why don't you help your brother carry his bags upstairs and show him his room."  
  
"Ok."  
  
Charlie traipsed out after Bill, nodding politely to Dumbledore and feeling like he'd lost the argument about where he was staying.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
The next day was not much of an improvement on the previous evening. Bill had filled him in on the comings and goings of the house and it sounded to Charlie as though he was not only not needed but that he was actually gong to end up in the way. He hadn't seen the young woman with the crazy hair again and he was beginning to wonder if he should apologise to her. He awoke shortly before lunchtime, having stayed up late the previous night having a very complicated conversation through the fireplace with his deputy in Romania. He had come home at a very busy time, it being the height of the breeding season for many of the dragon species. He quickly showered and dressed, making his way downstairs as his mother was preparing to lay the table.  
  
She smiled at him, "Charlie dear, there you are, you slept through breakfast."  
  
"I'm still on Romanian time," he explained.  
  
"Plus he was up half the night talking dragons with one of his colleagues!" Bill put in, entering the room with Ginny.  
  
"Oh, was it a young lady colleague Charlie?" his mother asked excitedly.  
  
Charlie sighed internally, "No mum, it wasn't."  
  
"Charlie, when are you going to find a nice girlfriend like Bill?" Molly asked.  
  
Charlie laughed, "Bill doesn't have a nice girlfriend, Bill has **ten **nice girlfriends."  
  
Bill threw the tea towel at his brother, "And Charlie has no nice girlfriends, or for that matter not so nice ones."  
  
Molly ignored her sons' bickering and hummed quietly to herself. It was a long-standing tradition that she refused to be informed of her eldest son's blasé attitude to women and relationships. "Charlie dear there's an Order meeting tonight, you are going aren't you?"  
  
He shrugged, "Yeah why not."  
  
"I hope Remus is going to go tonight, he's been a bit strange lately," a young woman with violet hair, _what is it with the women around here and neon hair shades?_, spoke up from her seat at the table. As she turned however he realised it was the same woman from the previous night.  
  
"Hey you changed your hair. At least it's all one colour now," he grinned.  
  
She glared at him and her hair began to lengthen and change to an electric blue colour, "This more to your liking?!" she snapped.  
  
"Woah!" Charlie took a step backwards, "How did you do that?"  
  
"I'm a metamorphagus, genius!" she said sarcastically.  
  
He frowned, "A what?"  
  
"It means I can change my appearance at will," she clarified.  
  
"Oh, that's nice," Charlie said uncertainly, "Must be useful for your job."  
  
"Yeah, it is."  
  
He looked at her curiously, "So do you live here?"  
  
"No, I'm just here for lunch before I have to be back at work. I'm here quite a bit, what with the Order and everything."  
  
"Oh." Charlie ran out of things to say and sat down at the table.  
  
"Ginny give me a hand with the plates would you?" Molly gestured at the twins, "And you two go and fetch Ron and see if Remus is going to eat with us!"  
  
"I'll help you Molly!" Tonks said eagerly.  
  
"Oh there's no need..." Molly protested.  
  
"I can do it..." Ginny began.  
  
Molly and Ginny were both too late to prevent her grabbing the plates though and heading for the table with them. Charlie had no idea why everyone suddenly looked so tense as the woman put the plates down. "See," she grinned, "No problem! I'm getting much less clumsy!" she gestured towards the unbroken plates as she said this.  
  
Charlie could see what was going to happen a split second before it did but he had no time to move as Tonks' hand connected with a jug of pumpkin juice and tipped in straight into his lap. For a moment no one spoke before Bill and Ginny began to laugh and Tonks began to apologise in a horrified tone.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" she grabbed a corner of the tablecloth and began to wipe at him with it. The tablecloth slipped further and further over the edge, nearly taking the dishes with it. "Oops!" Tonks looked contrite as Molly and Ginny had to grasp the plates nearest to the edge.  
  
Charlie stood up in annoyance, batting her hands away, "Just leave it!"  
  
"I'm really sorry!"  
  
The twins those that moment to re-enter the room with Ron, "Remus said he's not hungry," one of them said before staring at Charlie.  
  
"Had a little accident Charlie?" the other twin grinned.  
  
Charlie scowled at them both, "I'm going to get changed!"  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Lunch had been tedious, Charlie had endured many loose bladder jokes from the twins and even more comments about him finding a girlfriend from his mother. Remus Lupin had not appeared and Charlie couldn't blame the man.  
  
After lunch was over, Tonks asked Molly if she thought she should take him a tray up. Molly looked doubtful but her desire to have Remus eat won out over her desire to keep Tonks away from things she could damage.  
  
"Alright dear," she put some of the leftover sandwiches onto a plate, "Take those up to him."  
  
Tonks followed the rest out with a tray while Charlie helped his mother clear the table.  
  
"Poor girl," Molly commented, "I think she's got a bit of a crush on Remus but he doesn't seem to be interested. Such a shame, she's a lovely girl just a little..." she trailed of as a crash came from above their heads.  
  
"Clumsy?" Charlie finished for her.  
  
Molly sighed and the two made their way to the foot of the stairs to see Tonks and the sandwiches in a heap on the bottom step. "I'm fine," she waved off Molly's concern.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Remus Lupin appeared at the top of the stairs, "Are you ok Tonks?"  
  
She blushed and tried to stand, refusing Molly's helping hand and falling down again. Charlie caught her arm and hauled her to her feet. "I'm alright thanks, Remus."  
  
The mild-mannered werewolf nodded and walked away.  
  
Tonks shook off Charlie's hand and vanished the mess on the floor. "I should get back to work," she muttered.  
  
"Come for dinner tonight," Molly insisted, "Besides anything else Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to the two of you."  
  
Charlie looked up in surprise, "What about?"  
  
"You'll have to ask him that," Molly said.  
  
Tonks nodded and, gathering her dignity, walked quickly to the door. She stumbled slightly on passing the umbrella stand but otherwise exited the building unscathed. Outside she sighed and sank down on the small patch of weed and moss ridden grass that passed for a front garden. She'd made a fool of herself in front of Remus again! Not to mention that she'd also dumped pumpkin juice all over Molly and Arthur's annoying son. She didn't feel too guilty about that part though, Charlie Weasley seemed rather irritable and frustrating from what she'd seen so far. She climbed to her feet after a moment's further thought, she really did have to get to work.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
That evening Charlie volunteered to help his mother with dinner, hoping to find out more about what Dumbledore wanted to see him and the neon haired, clumsy young woman for.  
  
"I really don't know dear," Molly smiled, "I think he wants you to do something for the Order but he said it wouldn't be anything dangerous."  
  
"I doubt you could send 'she of little grace' on any dangerous missions!" Charlie grinned.  
  
"Charlie!" Molly chastised, "She's a lovely girl and it must have been so embarrassing falling over like that in front of Remus.  
  
"She's really keen on him then?" Charlie asked.  
  
Outside the door Tonks was listening in horror, she had reached there in time to hear Molly's first comment about her falling in front of Remus and a deep blush stained her cheeks.  
  
"Oh yes she seems quite taken with him the poor dear," she heard Molly say sympathetically.  
  
Tonks felt herself grow warm in humiliation; they were clearly all enjoying a laugh at her expense. She flung the door open and walked in, surprising them both.  
  
"Tonks!" Molly gasped, "You gave us quite a fright."  
  
The young woman tried to shake off her anger and embarrassment, "Sorry Molly."  
  
Tonks remained subdued during dinner, watching the twins bait their younger brother. Charlie surprised her by intervening and pulling their attention away from Ron before he could explode.  
  
Professor Dumbledore arrived just as they were finishing and asked her and Charlie to accompany him into another room. Tonks already knew what it was all about but Charlie still needed to be filled in.  
  
"Now Charlie," Dumbledore began, "There is another reason your parents asked you here besides family unity."  
  
"Oh, what's that?"  
  
"We need you to go with Tonks to gather some information which the person in question won't hand out to any known Order members, they've never seen you and Tonks' unique abilities mean that they won't recognise her. It's simple enough, you meet the contact, hand over the payment and collect the information. It has to be done tomorrow night, is that ok?"  
  
Charlie nodded, "Fine."  
  
"Right, you're meeting the man in Knockturn Alley," Dumbledore handed them a photograph, "That's what he looks like, remember because you can't take the photograph with you in case you get caught."  
  
They both studied it intently, Tonks had seen it before but she was determined not to mess this up.  
  
"He'll tell you something and you need to remember it, don't hand over the payment before you've got the information."  
  
They both nodded.  
  
"Alright, well you need to meet him at half past eight, the money will be given to you tomorrow by Moody. Is everything clear?"  
  
"Yeah," Charlie said, "That's ok."  
  
"Good," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "Well good luck to you both and I'll see you when you get back."  
  
After Dumbledore had left to speak with Molly and Arthur, Tonks rounded on Charlie. "What you and your mother were saying before wasn't funny!" she snapped.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That stuff about me and Remus, it isn't true and it isn't funny!"  
  
Charlie was caught off guard, "Ok, if you say so. Though you do seem pretty concerned about him," he grinned.  
  
She didn't return the grin, "Well it's none of your business anyway!" The woman turned on her heel and stalked from the room. She couldn't leave, there was to be an Order meeting soon and she had to be there. She scowled and decided to go and see if Remus was going to go to the meeting, he seemed to have been avoiding people lately and she wanted to see him.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Tonks was sustained throughout the meeting by the thought of seeing Remus after it. He had declined to come down, saying he didn't feel up to it, but he had agreed to her suggestion that she come up and see him afterwards with a cup of tea and tell him what had happened.  
  
The meeting only lasted twenty minutes before they broke up and Tonks busied herself making tea for Remus.  
  
"Who's that for?" Charlie had followed her into the kitchen and seen the pair of teacups with fresh tea in them.  
  
"Remus," she said defiantly, daring him to laugh at her. He did. She whirled to face him, kettle in hand. "It's not..." she trailed off on the realisation she had poured the freshly boiled water down her leg. Eyes wide in pain she put the kettle down and grasped her knee.  
  
"Oh great!" Charlie rolled his eyes but helped her into a chair, "MUM!" he called. "Don't worry," he saw tears form in her eyes, "Mum'll be able to put that right in a second." He kept a hand on her shoulder.  
  
Molly, Arthur and Professor Snape entered the room a few seconds later. As soon as it became clear what had happened Molly knelt down to help Tonks and Snape rolled his eyes.  
  
"I told Remus I'd take him some tea and I wasn't looking what I was doing," Tonks explained.  
  
"I'll take it up to him."  
  
The inhabitants of the room turned as one to look at the person who'd spoken. Severus Snape was volunteering to take Remus Lupin a cup of tea, all was not right with the world!  
  
Tonks was horrified, "No! I'll do it in a minute."  
  
"It's no problem," Snape said smoothly, picking the tea up, "I need to speak to him anyway." He swept from the room without another word.  
  
Tonks couldn't believe it, she had not only injured herself but lost the chance to talk to Remus, after all there was no way she was going up there while Snape was there. As soon as Molly had healed her leg she made her escape, not noticing the sympathetic look Charlie sent in her direction.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
The next night Charlie waited impatiently for Tonks to arrive. She was rather late, dashing in through the front door at twenty past eight. "Tonks! We're meeting this guy in ten minutes!"  
  
"I know, I know!" Tonks grabbed his arm, "Let's go! You got the money?"  
  
"Yeah." Charlie followed her out of the door and the two apparated instantly to Diagon Alley.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Arthur Weasley returned from work a few minutes after his son and Tonks had left. "Hello Molly. Is Kingsley here?"  
  
"Yes he's in the kitchen."  
  
Arthur dashed into the kitchen, followed by his worried wife. "Kingsley, did your department get the memo about the anti-apparition ward they're erecting around Diagon and Knockturn Alley later this evening?"  
  
"Yes, don't worry I made sure Tonks knew about that," Kingsley reassured Arthur, "She'll have told Charlie."  
  
Arthur visibly relaxed, "Thank goodness, I got quite a shock when I heard about it. I was out on raids all day and I only found out a couple of minutes ago."  
  
"What's this about?" Molly asked curiously.  
  
"New security measure, the ministry's erecting anti-apparition wards around Diagon and Knockturn Alley every evening from now on until about seven o'clock the following morning. I'm not sure if it'll do much good but I suppose it's worth a try," Arthur explained. "It just means Charlie and Tonks will have to either floo back or go into muggle London in order to apparate. There shouldn't be any problems."  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
It was a quiet time of night for the small area of wizarding streets Charlie and Tonks apparated into. Most places were closed in Diagon Alley except for the pub and a few restaurants and they would mostly not become really busy for a while yet. Knockturn Alley's visitors and residents preferred the darker times of night, in the summer this was still too light for most of their activities to have begun yet so the two streets were both unusually quiet.  
  
Knockturn Alley was dimly lit, the old buildings were many storeys high and many had the overhanging upper floors the Tudor architects had been so fond of. Combined with dark paintwork and the general grime of the alley this made the street level dim and cool in the summer evening. A few shops were still open as they passed but even they emitted little light through their often clouded windows.  
  
Their contact was nowhere in sight. They were a minute late but no more and the man was supposed to be in clear view near the end of the Alley that adjoined Diagon.  
  
"We better try going further down," Tonks said, beckoning Charlie to follow her. She seemed to have slipped into auror mode and moved with more confidence than usual.  
  
They walked on side by side, keeping a close watch on the few comings and goings in the Alley. Tonks moved slightly in front of Charlie and carried on, the evening light was fading and the Alley was growing darker as they journeyed down it, they both lit their wands.  
  
Charlie glanced through a few dark windows but could see nothing.  
  
"Oh!" a horrified exclamation from Tonks caught Charlie's attention.  
  
"What is it?" he swung the light from his wand around to focus on where her voice had come from.  
  
"I think I found him."  
  
The dim light showed her hurriedly picking herself up from where she had tripped over the body of their contact, who was clearly going to be no use to anyone anymore. Tonks' top was covered in blood and she was looking severely shaken.  
  
Charlie pulled her away by the arm, "We need to get out of here, now."  
  
She nodded distractedly and the two turned back the way they come when a flash of movement caught Charlie's attention. He squinted down the dark alley trying to make out what looked like a group of figures.  
  
"Death Eaters!" Tonks hissed in his ear suddenly, "We should apparate!"  
  
Charlie nodded but as he tried to apparate away from there he realised there was something stopping them. "An apparition barrier! There's no way they could have set one of those up here is there?"  
  
Tonks went suddenly quiet, "Looks like it," she muttered. "Come on, we need to get out of here, they're heading this way. Maybe we can slip out through one of the shops' fireplaces?"  
  
"I don't think that's a great idea!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"We're in Knockturn Alley Tonks and we're in a pretty bad area of it, even if these people aren't on the Death Eater's side they still will most likely not wish us well!"  
  
"Do you have a better solution?"  
  
"Down here!" Charlie grasped her arm and pulled her down a side street, which was less of a side street and more merely a back entrance to a nearby building. They crouched hastily behind a large dustbin and looked at each other in alarm as the Death Eater's voices got closer, it was clear from the sound of things that there were a lot of them.  
  
Ten minutes passed in silence and the Death Eaters seemed to show no interest in leaving, thankfully though they had also shown no interest in the side street where the two young Order members were hiding either. Charlie noticed that Tonks was wiping distractedly at her top.  
  
"What's wrong?" he whispered.  
  
"I'm sat here in a top soaked with the blood of a dead man!" she hissed.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"You know if you were a gentleman you'd offer me your jumper!"  
  
"I'm not a gentleman."  
  
"Charlie," her voice was quieter, "Please, this is freaking me out!"  
  
He sighed and pulled off his jumper, revealing that he hadn't bothered to put anything on underneath, "Here," he passed it to her.  
  
She sniffed, "Thank you. Could you turn around?"  
  
He turned with difficulty in the confined space and Tonks gratefully discarded the ruined top and pulled the jumper, which was many sizes too large for her, over her head. She looked at him to tell him he could turn around when something caught her eye in the dim light. "Wow!" Tonks suddenly noticed that Charlie's well muscled back was covered in a huge tattoo of a black dragon with smoke curling out of it's nostrils. "Nice tattoo."  
  
He turned and grinned, "It's a Hebridian Black. Do me a favour, don't tell my mother! If the way she responded to Bill's earring's any indication, she'll have me hung, drawn and quartered when she finds out."  
  
"Your mother doesn't know yet?" Tonks gave a muted laugh.  
  
"No, and I'd like it to stay that way," Charlie said urgently.  
  
"Well, your secret's safe with me," Tonks smiled and settled back against the wall.  
  
Charlie glanced at her and noticed her hair which had been a deep shade of purple when they had started out was now in bright green spikes. "You know your hair's practically luminous, can't you do something about it?"  
  
She seemed unaware and pulled on a piece so that it grew down to her eye level. "Sorry, my hair tends to look like this when I get really stressed!" she shook her head and her hair suddenly fell straight down to her shoulders in a dark and unobtrusive brown. "Better?"  
  
Charlie nodded, "More normal, definitely."  
  
They sat in silence for a while until Charlie sighed in frustration, "I can't believe no one in the Order knew about this anti-apparition barrier and thought to tell us! We could be killed and they don't even do their research properly before sending us out here!"  
  
Tonks felt guilt well up inside her again, just as it had when she had first remembered the barrier. "Charlie?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"They knew."  
  
"I beg your pardon?"  
  
"Well, we found out today. Kingsley and I, that is." She swallowed nervously, "I forgot."  
  
There was a silence.  
  
"I was late from work because someone asked me to do something at the last minute and I knew I was going to be late to meet you to come here and in all the rushing about it just slipped my mind!" she babbled.  
  
"Slipped your mind?" Charlie whispered fiercely, "Slipped your mind?! Has your mind got lost or something? How stupid can you be? Can you not get anything right?! You could have got us killed!"  
  
"I know, I'm sorry. But Charlie, even if I had remembered and told you about it I don't think it would have made much difference, by the time we realised we had to get out of here apparition was the only option, it wasn't like we had the time to get back to Diagon Alley and into the muggle world or to the floo station!"  
  
"That's hardly the point!" he protested, "At least we would have been prepared for this possibility!"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"You seem to spend a lot of time saying that!"  
  
"I don't mess up on purpose you know!"  
  
"I don't care, just be quiet."  
  
Tonks was quiet for a long time, the harsh tone in Charlie's voice left her holding back tears of shame, why could she not stop getting things wrong all the time?  
  
Charlie glared at the opposite wall and listened intently to the sounds of the Death Eaters who were still moving around the alley, there seemed to be less of them by now and he suspected some of them had gone inside one of the shops or small houses.  
  
His temper, which had flared up so quickly in his annoyance and fear at Tonks' forgetfulness in their dangerous situation, was beginning to die down just as quickly. Still he continued to sit in silence, if she was expecting him to apologise she was going to have to wait.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Back at Grimmauld Place Molly was getting steadily more and more anxious. "They should have been here by now!" she exclaimed to her equally worried husband for the third time in as many minutes.  
  
"I know dear but I'm sure they've just hit a minor complication, they'll be fine," Arthur tried, as he had the previous times, to reassure her.  
  
"What if they're not?! Oh, I never thought I'd say this but I wish Charlie was back with those blasted dragons!"  
  
Arthur smiled despite the situation, it seemed Molly was never going to approve of her second son's career choice.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Had Charlie been able to hear his mother he would have agreed with her wholeheartedly, he too wished he was back with his dragons. The alleyway was almost pitch dark now, the stars were offering little light and he noticed Tonks had begun to shake slightly.  
  
"You're trembling," he said, feeling slightly guilty for his temper, "Are you cold?"  
  
She gave a shrug he could hardly see and muttered, "Cold, scared, you name it."  
  
Charlie sighed and pulled her closer to him, slipping his strong arms around her small waist and holding her tightly. "Any warmer?" he whispered.  
  
Tonks seemed to lose all power of speech for a moment before nodding distractedly. "Yes, much," she replied quietly and leaned back against Charlie's broad chest, allowing her head to rest tiredly on his shoulder.  
  
He rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her, Tonks couldn't help but feel though that the hot blush on her cheeks could have created enough heat to keep them both warm. As she sat in the arms of the attractive redhead all thoughts of Remus Lupin seemed to fade away.  
  
"I'm sorry I got angry with you, it's not your fault you forgot about the ministry's new safety precautions."  
  
"Yes it is. I'm sorry Charlie, I could have got us both killed, I still could."  
  
"Shh," he took hold of her cold hands between his own to warm them, "It doesn't matter, we all make mistakes."  
  
"Some of us more than others," Tonks muttered bitterly.  
  
"Oh don't be silly, you're an auror for goodness sakes so you must be doing something right!"  
  
She smiled in the darkness, "Maybe, god knows what Kingsley will do to me when he finds out about this though!"  
  
"Don't tell me you're daft enough to tell him!"  
  
"But, I thought you..."  
  
"Why don't we let that be our little secret." Charlie interrupted.  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Charlie didn't remember falling asleep but as he had just woken up it was clear that, whether he remembered it or not, it had indeed happened. Tonks had drifted off in the early hours of the morning and he had told himself he would stay awake to stop them being surprised by anyone wishing them harm, clearly his tired body had disagreed with that plan.  
  
Nymphadora Tonks was still fast asleep, her head resting on his bare chest and her hair tickling his skin. He glanced at his watch and realised it was nearly six o'clock. Everything was quiet and, glancing around the cluster of bins as best he could without waking the young woman who was using him as a pillow, he saw Knockturn Alley appeared to be empty.  
  
He placed a gentle hand on Tonk's shoulder and shook her slightly, "Wake up sleepy head, we need to get out of here."  
  
Slowly she blinked open her grey/blue eyes and looked up at him, blushing when she realised how close they were and that she had been sleeping in his lap.  
  
"Morning," Charlie grinned.  
  
She smiled slightly and turned to face him, "Good morning."  
  
"Sleep well?"  
  
"Yes, very well actually."  
  
"Good." He leaned in towards her on an impulse.  
  
She blushed, suddenly conscious of how close their faces were and also of the fact they seemed to be getting closer, she suddenly realised with a jolt of excitement that he was going to kiss her. She placed a cold hand on his chest as he encircled her waist with his arms and leaned in.  
  
"Oi! What do two think you're doing?!" a sudden, annoyed voice ruined the moment and stopped them both in their tracks. They pulled hastily apart and looked up to see a very angry little man in a blue cloak glaring at them. "Go on, get out of here! This isn't a bloody knocking shop! Respectable people work around here you know!"  
  
Charlie pulled Tonks to her feet with profuse apologies to the little man before dragging her away and into the main street. They both bust out laughing as they rounded the corner and began to make their way back towards Diagon Alley.  
  
"Woops!" Charlie grinned, "I think we upset him a bit!"  
  
"Better than upsetting the Death Eaters last night!"  
  
"Definitely," he slung an arm around her waist, "Come on, we need to get back to Grimmauld Place before they send out a search party!"  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
The occupants of Grrimmauld Place were indeed close to sending out a search party. Molly Weasley was in a state of near panic and Bill and Arthur were sat quietly together, both looking unusually serious.  
  
Bill slipped out of the crowded kitchen to call Hogwarts through the floo system when he heard the front door open. He ran into the hallway and was much relived at the sight of his brother and Tonks looking unharmed and making their way inside.  
  
He grinned in delight, "Where the hell have you two been? Everyone's frantic!" He paused to look them over for a minute and frowned. Charlie was bare-chested and Tonks was wearing what appeared to be Charlie's jumper. Bill raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Oh so that's what you've been up to!"  
  
"What?" Tonks asked in confusion.  
  
Charlie, used to his brother's idea of humour said quickly, "Never mind, and no Bill we got distracted by having to hide from some death eaters and our contact was dead on arrival. I need a shower and a good night's sleep, in fact I think we both do so why don't you go and tell everyone we're back and we're safe and we'll fill them in later?"  
  
Bill nodded, "Ok, I'll go and get mum though she's dying to see you."  
  
He left before Charlie could protest.  
  
"Tonks give me my jumper back!" he hissed desperately.  
  
"What? No way, I'm not standing here in my underwear!"  
  
"My mum'll see the tattoo!"  
  
"Charlie you're 26, stand up to her!"  
  
"Greater men have tried! And they still haven't recovered! You don't just 'stand up' to my mother!"  
  
Molly Weasley at that moment came running down the hall and threw her arms around her son, "Oh thank heavens you're alright!"  
  
Charlie carefully kept his back out of sight as his father and Remus Lupin came down the hall after her.  
  
Arthur smiled at the two of them, "Charlie, Tonks, I am glad to see you're both ok."  
  
Remus raised an eyebrow at Tonk's unusual attire, "Are you alright Tonks?" he asked in his usual soft, kindly tones.  
  
She smiled at him, "Fine thanks Remus." The concern his face showed should have put her on cloud nine but Tonks found that Remus' effect on her seemed to have dulled slightly. She was still very sensible of how attractive he was but she no longer blushed as she spoke to him and as his gaze met hers she found no answering jolt in her stomach like she usually did. However as Remus glanced towards Charlie and looked meaningfully at her jumper she found herself blush hotly. He gave her a playful wink and murmured something about wouldn't it be a good time to make some tea.  
  
Charlie had extricated himself from his mother and now began to sidle up the stairs with his back to the wall, grateful for an excuse to call his mother away, "I need a shower, we'll fill you in later, ok! Tea sounds great Remus, why don't you have one mum you look like you could use one."  
  
"Alright dear," Molly agreed, "I'll make a nice pot of tea for everyone."  
  
As his parents and Remus left the hallway Charlie turned to look at Tonks. She looked back with a slightly nervous expression on her flushed face. He had caught the brief exchange between her and Remus and had a good idea what that blush was all about. He grinned suddenly, "Tonks?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"If you're not busy, how'd you like to go out with me sometime?"  
  
Her face lit up, "I'd love to."  
  
"Alright then," Charlie continued up the stairs only to find her racing up after him. In proud tradition she tripped just as she reached him and he turned just in time to catch her in his arms. He chuckled, "Do look where you're going!"  
  
She ignored him and pressed her lips to his muttering, "I'd much rather look at you."  
  
XXXXXXX  
  
Back in the kitchen Remus Lupin smiled mysteriously when Bill mentioned that Tonks had been wearing his brother's jumper.  
  
"What do you know about all this?" Bill insisted on asking.  
  
"Oh nothing," Remus decided to escape from further questioning, besides there was someone he wanted to see. "I think I'll skip the tea Molly, I'm just going to go and pay Severus a visit."  
  
XXXXXXX

* * *

A/N: Don't forget to tell me what you think about the proposed sequel! Sometimes during the week I'll post another one shot which is a pre-curser to my Percy fic but works perfectly well on it's own as well. 


End file.
